Geranium plant named ‘Ballurlitpi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant named ‘Ballurlitpi’, characterized by its semi-double type light and dark pink bi-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, upright growth habit.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Pelargonium×hortorum.

Variety denomination: ‘Ballurlitpi’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Ballurlitpi’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Arroyo Grande, Calif. during July 2002. The objective of the breeding program was the development of Geranium cultivars with unique flower coloration, medium green-colored foliage, and a vigorous, upright growth habit.

The new Geranium cultivar is the result of cross-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is Bravo ‘Fisbravo’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,765, characterized by its semi-double type medium pink-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, and upright growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is Tango Light Pink, not patented, characterized by its semi-double type light pink-colored flowers, medium to dark green-colored foliage, and compact, upright growth habit. The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination during January 2003 in a controlled environment at Arroyo Grande, Calif.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings since January 2003 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. and West Chicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedly observed and can be used to distinguish ‘Ballurlitpi’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant:

-   -   1. Semi-double type light and dark pink bicolored flowers;     -   2. Medium green-colored foliage; and     -   3. Moderately vigorous, upright growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parent primarily in flower color and from plants of the male parent primarily in flower color.

Of the many commercially available Geranium cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar in comparison to the new cultivar is Americana Light Pink Splash II ‘Amri Light Pink Spla II’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,944. However, in side by side comparisons, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of ‘Amri Light Pink Spla II’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar have a flower color different from         plants of ‘Amri Light Pink Spla II’; and     -   2. Plants of the new cultivar are wider and taller than plants         of ‘Amri Light Pink Spla II’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typical flower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in the photographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed description, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Ballurlitpi’. The plants were grown in 4.5 inch pots for 8 weeks in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habit of ‘Ballurlitpi’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual umbel of ‘Ballurlitpi’.

FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up view of an individual flower of ‘Ballurlitpi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 2001 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined on Jul. 21, 2006 between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. under natural light conditions, in West Chicago, Ill.

The following descriptions and measurements describe plants produced from cuttings taken from stock plants and grown in a glass-covered greenhouse under conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. The plants were grown at West Chicago, Ill. in 4.5 inch pots for 8 weeks utilizing a soilless growth medium. Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 70° F. to 77° F. (21° C. to 25° C.) during the day and approximately 65° F. to 68° F. (18° C. to 20° C.) during the night. Greenhouse light levels of 2,500 footcandles to 6,000 footcandles were maintained during the day.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium×hortorum cultivar     ‘Ballurlitpi’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Bravo ‘Fisbravo’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,765.         -   Male parent.—Tango Light Pink. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 9 to 13 days.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 18 to 20             days.         -   Root description.—Fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Commercial crop time.—Approximately 8 to 9 weeks from a             rooted cutting.         -   Growth habit and general appearance.—Moderately vigorous,             upright.         -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane:             Approximately 20.6 cm. Height from soil level to top of             foliage: Approximately 10.3 cm. Width: Approximately 25.5             cm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely basal branching. Quantity of main             branches per plant: Approximately 3.         -   Branch.—Strength: Strong. Length: Approximately 4.6 cm.             Diameter: Approximately 6.3 mm. Length of central internode:             Approximately 9.3 mm. Texture: Densely pubescent with a             mixture of glandular and nonglandular hairs. Gland color:             Mixture of colorless, transparent; and 29C, transparent.             Color of young and mature stems: 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   General description.—Quantity of leaves per lateral branch:             Approximately 9. Fragrance: None. Form: Simple. Arrangement:             Opposite.         -   Leaves.—Aspect: Petiole is at an acute angle to stem and             blade is perpendicular to stem. Shape: Reniform. Margin:             Crenate, palmately lobed. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Cordate.             Venation pattern: Palmate. Length of mature leaf:             Approximately 5.1 cm. Width of mature leaf: Approximately             8.1 cm. Texture of upper surface: Densely pubescent with a             mixture of glandular and nonglandular hairs. Texture of             lower surface: Pubescent with a mixture of glandular and             nonglandular hairs, dense on venation. Gland color: Mixture             of colorless, transparent; and 29C, transparent. Color of             upper surface of young and mature foliage: Closest to 137A             with venation of 137A. Color of lower surface of young             foliage: 146B with venation of 146B. Color of lower surface             of mature foliage: 146B with venation of 146C.         -   Petiole.—Length: Approximately 5.5 cm. Diameter:             Approximately 2.0 mm. Texture: Densely pubescent with a             mixture of glandular and nonglandular hairs. Gland color:             Mixture of colorless, transparent; and 29C, transparent.             Color: 144A. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—‘Ballurlitpi’ is freely flowering under             outdoor growing conditions with substantially continuous             blooming from spring through autumn and year-round in             greenhouse environment.         -   Lastingness of individual flower on the plant.—Approximately             10 to 13 days. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   General description.—Type: Umbel. Positioned above foliage.             Quantity of fully open umbels per plant: Approximately 1.             Quantity of developing umbels per plant: Approximately 2.             Fragrance: None. Length or height: Approximately 6.7 cm.             Width: Approximately 11.2 cm. Quantity of fully open flowers             per inflorescence: Approximately 14.         -   Peduncle.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect. Length:             Approximately 15.4 cm. Diameter: Approximately 3.4 mm.             Texture: Densely glandular pubescent. Gland color:             Colorless, transparent. Color: 144A with an overlay of 185A. -   Flower description:     -   -   General description.—Type: Semi-double.         -   Bud.—Rate of opening: Generally takes 5 to 7 days for bud to             progress from first color to fully open flower.         -   Bud just before opening.—Shape: Elliptic. Length:             Approximately 1.5 cm. Width: Approximately 7.6 mm. Sepal             texture: Densely pubescent with a mixture of glandular and             nonglandular hairs. Gland color: 29C, transparent. Petal             texture: Glabrous. Petal color: N155D.         -   Corolla.—Shape: Round. Diameter: Approximately 4.3 cm.             Depth: Approximately 1.9 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity: Approximately 6.3 petals and 1.9             irregularly-shaped petaloids per flower. Shape: Obovate.             Appearance: Velvety. Margin: Entire. Apex: Obtuse. Base:             Attenuate. Length of upper petals: Approximately 2.6 cm.             Width of upper petals: Approximately 1.6 cm. Length of lower             petals: Approximately 2.4 cm. Width of lower petals:             Approximately 1.8 cm. Texture of upper and lower surface:             Glabrous. Color of upper surface of upper petals when fully             open: Lighter than N66D with a central spot of N66A             transitioning to speckles of color toward margin and base of             N155B with streaks of N66A. Color of lower surface of upper             petals when fully open: 69D with faint venation of N57B.             Color of upper surface of lower petals when fully open:             Light than N66D with a narrower central spot of N66A             transitioning to speckles of color toward margin and base of             N155B. Color of lower surface of lower petals when fully             open: 69D with faint venation of 62C.         -   Calyx.—Shape: 5-pointed star. Diameter: Approximately 1.7             cm.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Approximately 5. Shape:             Lanceolate. Margin: Entire. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Fused.             Length of upper sepal: Approximately 1.0 cm. Width of upper             sepal: Approximately 4.0 mm. Length of lower sepals:             Approximately 1.0 cm. Width of lower sepals: Approximately             2.3 mm. Texture of upper surface: Glabrous. Texture of lower             surface: Densely pubescent with a mixture of glandular and             nonglandular hairs. Gland color: Mixture of colorless,             transparent; and 29C, transparent. Color of upper surface:             144A. Color of lower surface: 144A with an overlay of 185A.         -   Pedicel.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Acute angle to stem.             Length: Approximately 3.6 cm. Diameter: Approximately             1.7 mm. Texture: Glandular pubescent. Gland color: 29B,             transparent. Color: 144A with an overlay of 185A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Quantity of mature stamens:             Approximately 7 per flower. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther             length: Approximately 2.0 mm. Anther color: N81A. Pollen             amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 33B. Gynoecium: Pistil             quantity: 1 per flower. Pistil length: Approximately 1.0 cm.             Stigma shape: 5 branched. Stigma length: Approximately             2.0 mm. Stigma color: 51B. Style length: Approximately             3.0 mm. Style color: 51D. Ovary length: Approximately             5.0 mm. Ovary texture: Densely pubescent. Ovary color: 144A. -   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has     been observed. -   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests     common to Geranium has not been observed. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant named ‘Ballurlitpi’, substantially as herein shown and described. 